Special Issue "Electrospinning Techniques and Novel Applications of Electrospun Nanofibers"

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Ton Peijs
School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, E1 4NS, London, UK
Website: http://www.cmr.qmul.ac.uk/
E-Mail: t.peijs@qmul.ac.uk
Phone: +44 20 7882 8865
Fax: +44 20 8981 9804
Interests: nanocomposites; polymer composites; structure/processing/properties relationships of polymer composites; polymer fibres; conductive polymer composites; self-reinforced polymers; cellulose; biobased materials

Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed Open Access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 500 CHF (Swiss Francs). English correction and/or formatting fees of 250 CHF (Swiss Francs) will be charged in certain cases for those articles accepted for publication that require extensive additional formatting and/or English corrections.

Type of Paper: Article
Title: Electrospun modified polyurethane and tropoelastin hybrid biomaterials
Authors: Wise, S.G.^1,3, Whitten, P.G.² and Weiss, A.S.³
Affiliations: ¹ Heart Research Institute, 7 Eliza Street Newtown, 2042, Sydney, NSW, Australia, email: wises@hri.org.au
² Intelligent Polymer Research Institute and ARC Centre of Excellence in Electromaterials Science, University of Wollongong, Innovation Campus, Fairy Meadow, NSW, 2519, Australia, email: whitten@uow.edu.au
³ School of Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Bioscience Building (G08), University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia, email: tony.weiss@sydney.edu.au
Abstract: Polyurethanes have been extensively used in the manufacture of vascular grafts due to their biological inertness and the wide range of mechanical properties that can be attained. We describe the systematic characterization of modified polyurethane and polyurethane constructs and their combination with human tropoelastin, and define optimum manufacturing conditions to give new generation vascular grafts. The mechanical and physical properties of hybrid constructs are further investigated and demonstrate increased elasticity and biocompatibility compared to polyurethane alone. These results point to the value of human tropoelastin as a vascular graft component and its potential to improve the use of polyurethane in clinical vascular applications.

Type of Paper: Article
Title: Mesenchymal stem cell culture on polypeptide electrospun fiber scaffolds
Author: Donald T. Haynie
Affiliation: Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, IDS 6219, Tampa, FL 33620, USA, E-Mail: dhaynie@usf.edu
Abstract: Electrospun fiber mats are widely studied as potential coatings for applications in medicine and biotechnology.  Proteins/polypeptides are promising polymers for such purposes.  Here, the behavior of mesenchymal stem cells on synthetic peptide-based fibers spun from water onto glass has been analyzed with regard to overall cell morphology, stress fibers patterns and adhesive contact location, density and composition.  The results provide a foundation for investigating the controlled differentiation of stem cells in vitro on electrospun scaffolds.

Type: Review
Title: Hierarchically Structured Electrospun Fibers: A Review
Author: Nicole Zander
Affiliation: Weapons and Materials Research Directorate, US Army Research Laboratory, 2800 Powder Mill Road,  Adelphi, MD 20783, USA; E-Mail: nicole.e.zander.civ@mail.mil
Abstract: Although the traditional electrospun nanofibers have a myriad of applications ranging from scaffolds for tissue engineering to components of biosensors and energy harvesting devices, many novel applications are limited due to their generally smooth 1-dimensional structure.  Here, new techniques to prepare hierarchically structured fibers, including helical, buckled, and beads-on-a-string fibers, as well as fibers with secondary structures such as nanopores, nanopillars and nanorods, and their applications will be discussed.  These new materials are expected to possess unique optical, electrical and mechanical properties with possible applications for negative refractive index materials, sensors, superhydrophobic materials, drug delivery, MEMS devices and highly stretchable/high tensile strength materials.